Blog Stats

Meta

It wasn’t an easy call to put a whole year into one sentence, but many of you rose to the call. For some it was a time to think about family, for others change was the main theme, but in all it seems like 2009 has been a satisfying and happy year.

So let’s say goodbye on a positive note. Thank you for all the lovely, hopeful and reflective sentences!

2009

Sara has managed more in a year than many manage in three. I bet she’s in for a busy 2010 too! Congratulations, Sara!!

in less than 12 months, i’ve managed to change grade levels, finish 3 grad classes, buy and fix up a house, move to said house, spend time with good friends, sweat less of the small stuff, eat lots of sushi, take good care of my husband and cats, and get knocked up – good times, 2009!

Where did 2009 go; no reflection time since too many unfinished things needed to be completed before the year ends.

Anne has had a lot to do too, but but seems to enjoy a challenge – congratulations on your projects!:

2009 was the year I took on too much in the face of uncertainty and as a consequence left too much undone but it was also the year I took on new challenges for example as a tutor with The Consultants-e and managed to bring a good project (VITAE) to a successful conclusion.

Much traveling this year, a daughter in Barrage playing fiddle tunes around the world; a son visiting colleges; and me, traveling to Cambridge, San Francisco, and Washington, studying neuroscience and presenting talks on Problem-based learning… it’ll be great to just settle down together in Michigan for a much-needed break, doing and thinking not much at all!

Family is always an important part of life when you have kids as Kevin and dkzody and Nancy make clear :

My oldest son is now in the same grade that I teach (but in a different school) and that, to me, seems like some sort of transitional moment in time, if only I had the time to reflect upon it a bit more.

Dropped by a classroom on Friday in one of the worst neighborhoods (high poverty/high crime) in my district and stood back in awe of one teacher’s ability to engage ALL his 5th grade students in a range of digital composing activities….amazing, just amazing.

I have had to do some priority defragging, which caused me to put the professional side of teaching (blogging, PD, etc.) on the back burner for a while…or at least to turn the heat to low, but I’ll be back soon.

Gail took a bold step in 2009, which turned out to be worth her while:

I stepped out into the cyber world a bit more boldly than in years past and learned more than I ever dreamed I would.

Cristina supplies some words for thought ( in more than just one sentence!) and a special New Years greeting:

Problems only become problematic if we don’t allow them to be converted into new opportunities

Jan 1 kicked off a change that had just been waiting to happen. That affected my mother tremendously, and consequently created a degree of unbalance in my life I had not envisaged. A year later I am pleased to see and say that a new balance is being created for both her and me, with new challenges ahead.
Sometimes we become incarcerated into our own drama, bound to expectations of a judgmental society (and generation) we were brought up in and are not able to look at ourselves from different angles opportunities, hence failing to see what lies ahead of now. Nothing is always good or bad… and we just need to make the best of situations ahead of us.

As a teacher, this as been an exciting, amazing and eventful year that has seen my classes from a geographically and culturally isolated rural area, connect, communicate, collaborate and create with classes and students across the globe.

Even though I loved being a history major I think I am more a person in the present and future, so I’m looking forward to 2010 with optimism. I think we have braved the storms of 2009 and I want to see what will grow from the soil of 09.